Credits
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Pou Auaha / Creative Director
Jef Wong -
Pou Rautaki / Strategic Lead
Sam O'Flaherty -
Pou Taketake / Cultural Leads
Danny Karatea-Goddard, Anihera Zhou, Megan Meiling Chong, Nigel Chee, Simon Kaan, Ripeka Goddard, Dr Valance Smith, Maru Karatea-Goddard, Mikaela Joe, Te Kiwa Goddard
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Ringatoi Matua / Design Director
Liam Ooi -
Kaituhi Matua / Copywriter Lead
Sam O’Flaherty
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Ngā Kaimahi / Team Members
Kirsten Wong, Nigel Murphy, Chloé Griveaud, Inhyuk Phillip Kim, Anzac Tasker, Luke Guilford, Caitlin Thompson, Dave Black, Nicky Lloyd -
Kaitautoko / Contributors
Esther Fung, Bickleen Fong, Young Tong Shing, Joe Yue Sing, Dr James Ng, Dr David Fung, Dr Henry Chan, Gordon Wu, Charles Sedgwick, Leslie Wong, Dr Manying Ip, Meng Foon, Helene Wong, Gilbert Wong, Emma Bettle, Bev Tso Hong, Jo Fothergill, King Tong Ho, Trevor (Sew Hoy) Agnew, Jenny (Sew Hoy) Agnew, Manying Ip, Ruth Lam, Lily Lee, Lynette Shum, Renee Liang, Tze Ming Mok, Julia Bradshaw, Darrell Wu, Stanley Zeng, Ya-Wen Ho, Matilda Boese-Wong, Gilbert Patten-Elliott, Eda Tang, Nathan Blundell, Seb McLauchlan, Chris Tse, Nicholas Shackleton, Chinese Poll Tax Heritage Trust, NZ Chinese Association, Ministry of Education, Lotteries National, Ethnic Communities Development Fund, The Education Consultation Group
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Client
Te Hekenga Taikoa
Description:
Since 1842, Chinese settlers in Aotearoa New Zealand have endured hardship, exclusion, racism and internalised shame. But among these stories of hardship are tales of hope, connection, and positivity.
These narratives form the collective identity of Chinese New Zealanders, yet have often been hidden away, leading to a lack of a sense of belonging and understanding among current generations, highlighted by a Youth19 survey, which showed higher rates of depression among young Chinese New Zealanders compared to European students.
To address this, the New Zealand Chinese Association aimed to create a history website, empowering Chinese New Zealanders to reclaim sovereignty over their histories and giving all New Zealanders a chance to understand the Chinese New Zealand experience.
In building an identity around this, we drew from tri-cultural foundations, acknowledging and uplifting Māori as mana whenua of this place Chinese New Zealanders now call home.
We needed to create a visual expression not of ‘Chinese’ culture, but of ‘Chinese New Zealand’ culture. Inspired by the bicultural foundations of the name, we challenged cliché representations of Chinese-ness in Western societies and looked for further affinities between Chinese culture and te ao Māori.
In line with this, the display typeface, the most visually striking and provocative brand asset, draws from the shared connection between Chinese and mana whenua.
Understanding the role of the Latin alphabet as a key tool of oppression, but also becoming a common point of communication between Māori and Chinese. Visually inspired by the gateways used to invite people into both of our worlds: the paifang and waharoa. Architectural and sculptural — a proud expression of identity that becomes more than just an alphabet.
As a display typeface, the priority was graphic impact over best practice legibility. The negative space between the letters created interesting patterns that meld into the texture of the text. Used for our most provocative language, reminding people of the confronting reality faced by generations of Chinese New Zealanders.
The resulting typeface is a core part of a visual system that helps a people and a community restore pride in identity. A gift from one generation to the next. More than just a history website, it is a living expression of Chinese New Zealand identity that provides the foundations to finally share their truth:
We are diverse. We are tangata tiriti. We are New Zealanders and this is our home.